Workers killed in roof collapse

31 May 2005

At least 12 people, including five women, were crushed to death and 20 injured when an under-construction roof, crumbled this afternoon in a cement factory in Dalmiapuram in neighbouring Perambalur district, India.

Perambalur District Collector D Vivekanandan, told reporters, who visited the site immediately after the mishap, that while nine construction workers were killed on the spot, three succumbed to their injuries in a local private hospital later.

The roof measuring 35 feet long and eight feet wide in the ’stacker reclaimer’ division of the 70-year-old Dalmia Cement Bharat Ltd, on a platform to accommodate a conveyor belt, was under construction, about 20m above the ground, police and factory sources said. It suddenly crumbled, killing not only the construction workers, but also those underneath, who were taking their lunch.

Sudden heavy unseasonal rains this evening hampered the rescue works for some time. Cranes were pressed into service to clear the debris and the huge pillar that supported the platform, which also fell under the impact. Later, police arrested four persons - engineers Iniyan, Mayilsamy and Sankar and supervisor Kannan - in connection with the incident. All the arrested were produced before the Lalgudi judicial magistrate, who remanded them in judicial custody for 15 days.